Bleach: Retribution
by no-one-is-special
Summary: Reiji Ryoken wanted just to be an average shinigami. But when he's attacked by humans with strange powers on a mission to the human world he finds himself pulled into a massive war between hollows, humans, and shinigami.
1. The Sword's Name

The cave was cold and damp with virtually no light, and yet Reiji could see everything as though it were midday. Hundreds of stalactites hung from the ceiling with just as many stalagmites protruding from the floor. Reiji was in a large antechamber with five exits leading to a veritable labyrinth of tunnels. In the center of the chamber was a large pool of water. At the far end Reiji thought he could see large claw marks carved into the wall. A shiver crawled up Reiji's spine as he realized that he was not alone in this cave.

He turned to face the cave's exit but found that there was none. He was trapped. Reiji turned back to the five paths and went into the second path from the right. The long winding and twisting tunnel was pitch black, and yet the darkness held no secrets from his eyes. Not that the cave held any, the walls of caves were bare, save for some more claw marks. He couldn't say how he'd known but he knew that there was fork in the path up a head. He already decided on left when the fork arrived. He continued inexplicably knowing when turns and splits in the path were approaching.

Right, left, left, right, and so on. Reiji mechanically proceeded through the caves until he came into a gigantic antechamber, dwarfing the initial chamber he started in. Seeing nothing special in the chamber Reiji moved to the center of the chamber and sat cross-legged.

"So, you've finally arrived." A deep, almost feral, voice growled from behind. Reiji spun around to find himself face to face with a shadow. The being was almost formless, having no distinguishing features. Two bright orbs that stayed in the ever-fluctuating center of the shadowy mass was the only constant thing about it.

"What are you?" Reiji asked, finally regaining his ability to speak.

"My name is _, and I have been waiting a very long time for you."

"Why have you been waiting for me?" Reiji asked, "Who are you?" The bright orbs within the shadowy mass seemed to dim a little.

"Can't hear me then." The shadow said, more to itself than to Reiji. "Come back when you wish to hear my name."

"Wait!" Reiji called out as the shadow dissipated. "Who are you? What are you talking about? Answer me!" One of the shadow's glowing eyes narrowed before Reiji felt a great pressure on his stomach.

"You will know my name soon, Reiji."

* * *

"Reiji wake up you lazy bastard!" Reiji's eyes shot open as he felt a heavy foot press against his stomach. When his view focused his first sight was that of his roommate, Lee Matsu, already in his blue Shin'o Academy uniform, staring down at him with a wide grin across his face. "You know what today is right?"

Lee Matsu was a large young man, easily a head and a half taller than Reiji. He was broad shouldered, pale skin, and had one of the strangest hairdos Reiji had ever seen. The front half of his hair was black as coal and slightly spiked in all directions, while the back half was white as fresh snow and pulled into several braids that reached down to his shoulders. It was the hair coloration that led to Reiji calling his roommate Sukanku. Lee and Reiji had been friends before they opted to join the Shin'o Academy 3 years ago, or rather before Lee decided to join and dragged Reiji along for the ride.

Reiji sighed before his hands shot up and grabbed hold of Lee's ankle with one hand and the back of his knee with the other. A look of sudden pain appeared on Lee's face before he fell to ground. At the same moment Reiji was on his feet and held Lee in an ankle lock.

"Of course I know what day it is Sukanku." Reiji growled as he twisted Lee's ankle. "Now do you yield?"

Lee pushed himself up his large arms before he kicked Reiji with his free foot. The kick loosened Reiji's grip enough for Lee free his ankle by pulling it, and Reiji forward. Lee rolled to his feet as Reiji flew through the thin paper sliding door. The other students in the hall all jumped in surprise as Reiji hopped to his feet and rushed back into his room. A second later Reiji once again flew out of the room, but this time Lee's head was under his arm. The two continued to wrestle in the hallway before a sixth year student came and broke them up.

"That's enough you two!" the more experienced student shouted while using a low level bakudo sealing spell to separate them. The two boys turned to see a young woman with her hands stretched out before her, Miya Aisuru. She was smaller than both of the boys she'd subdued, barely coming up to Reiji's shoulder. Hidden within her slim frame was near limitless determination however and an unmatched talent in kido. Her hair was light brown and cut short, not even reaching down to her ears.

"Oh hi Miya." the two boys called out. They had met Miya when they'd joined the academy. She had been assigned to tutor the two, along with some others, in kido. Reiji and the other students had benefited greatly from her help but Lee's kido skills had been virtually non-existent. Reiji had stayed in the extra class to help his friend and over time the three had become friends.

"I swear if you two fight like this when you create your zanpakuto, I'm going to have my hands full just keeping you bastards from killing each other." Miya had already put in her application to join the 4th squad once she graduated from the academy and thanks to the several 'sparring matches' that Reiji and Lee got into she had plenty of practice time.

"Yeah, yeah whatever, Miya can you release us now?" Lee's face took on an impetuous look. "We'll be lucky if we make to class on time."

Miya narrowed her eyes as she released the spell, "Get your ass to class then." Lee headed off towards while Reiji ducked into his room to pull on his uniform. While Lee ran off Miya shook her head and smiled when Reiji's head popped out of his room.

"Any last minute advice you can give me?"

Miya looked at Reiji before smiling, "You just have to listen to your heart."

* * *

"A zanpakuto is far more than a shinigami's weapon. A zanpakuto is not merely a tool to fight with. A zanpakuto is a shinigami's best friend, their hearts companion, and their soul." The instructor stated as he stood before the row of 10 students. In front of the students was the hilt of a katana, a hilt with no blade. "The blade of a zanpakuto is purely comprised of your spirit energy and…"

Reiji stopped paying attention to the instructor around then. He had known the pretty much the entire monologue by heart, thanks to his 3 years of study of the subject in the academy library. So instead he spent his time contemplating his strange dream. He was sure that he'd never seen that cave before in his life. So why did it seem so familiar to him. He initially thought that he was simply following the claw marks on the wall, until he realized that he'd only looked at the marked walls once. More importantly what was that shadow he'd encountered. It spoke as though it had known about him for years. It was too real for it to be just a dream, that and the fact that he remembered every little detail. He recalled something from his studies about something that veteran shinigami referred to as the 'inner world'. The inner world was a realm, for lack of a better term, created within the mind of a shinigami for the spirit of their zanpakuto.

"Was I in the inner world?" he asked himself as the instructor finished his speech.

"Now everyone take the hilt in front of you." Everyone grabbed the katana hilt in front of him or her. "Now focus your spirit energy and forge your zanpakuto." With that the instructor made his way to the door. "I'll return in an hour."

The students all stared blankly at the hilt in their hands. Not a single one of them had a single idea on what to do. Even Reiji, for all his study about the blades themselves, was more than just a little fuzzy as to how to form them. He remembered what Miya had told him earlier. "You just have to listen to your heart."

'Well, it was worth a shot at least.' Reiji thought as he closed his eyes and listened.

* * *

Lee 'Sukanku' Matsu tapped the bladeless hilt against his temple as he tried to complete his zanpakuto. He had no idea why nothing was happening, having always figured that he just had to grab the hilt and poof instant soul cutter. Clearly this was not the case. Lee took a deep breath and absent-mindedly fiddled with one of his white braids as he glanced around the class. Most of them were holding their hilts in front of them and looked a little constipated, like they were trying to crap the sword out. The image both amused, and slightly reviled, Lee. He continued glancing around the room until he found Reiji just sitting with his eyes closed.

His friend, Reiji Ryoken, was lazy, stubborn, completely unmotivated, and a complete bastard at times, but he wasn't stupid. He would figure it out, of that Lee was certain. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind that Reiji lifted up the hilt and placed it over his heart. As though he was stabbing himself. Following his lead Lee did the same.

* * *

Reiji had no idea what possessed him to put the hilt to his heart. Maybe it Miya's advice somehow clicking into place, maybe it was what the instructor had said about the zanpakuto being the "hearts companion and soul", or maybe it was something he'd read about involving temporarily giving a human shinigami powers in an emergency. In order to do so the human must accept the shinigami's zanpakuto, by stabbing it into their heart. More than likely, Reiji thought, that it was a culmination of all these things. He didn't know for certain, but there was something he was certain of, it worked. He was in the cave once again.

Following the same path he took last time, Reiji once again found himself in the giant antechamber.

"Shadow!" he called out hearing his voice echo throughout the caves. "Come on out!" Suddenly the caverns began to quake as a large section of the roof collapsed and let in a brilliant beam of light that shone right at Reiji. His arm instinctively went up to shield his eyes.

"The brightest lights cast the darkest shadows." A voice behind him said. Reiji spun around and found himself face to face with the shadow. It had taken on a more solid form than last time, no longer fluctuating endlessly. Now it looked like a giant black wolf with a katana held between its teeth. "So Reiji, would you finally hear my name?"

Reiji bowed his head and closed his eyes, "I would be honored if you were to tell me."

The shadowed beast approached Reiji and passed the katana from its mouth. "When battle is upon and your own strength is not adequate, call upon me and together we will crush your enemies. My name is Onikage." When Reiji's eyes opened he was back in the room with the other students, his zanpakuto in his hands.


	2. Unauthorized Practice

"Are you sure about this Sukanku?" Reiji asked as Lee led him through the hallways of the academy. "Because I distinctly remember our instructor telling us not to do this."

"Oh come on Reiji, don't be such a wuss." Lee scolded as he slid the doors to the dojo just an inch open to check if anyone was in. The room was empty. With a large grin Lee slid the door completely open. "Besides I want to find out what our new 'partners' can do." He added placing a hand on the large zanpakuto strapped to his back. Unlike Reiji's zanpakuto, which took the form of a standard sized katana, Lee's blade became a much longer nodachi.

"I'm pretty sure they have a class for that." Reiji commented as he half-heartedly followed Lee inside.

"Reiji. There are some things that can't be taught in a safe environment like a classroom." Lee drew the long four-foot blade from its sheath. "Now hurry up and let's get started before the morning class shows up." Reiji sighed as he drew Onikage from its sheath at his waist and slid the door shut. The two took a ready stance in the center of the room. Lee stabbed forward. "Reiji, you're never gonna make captain if you don't take a few risks."

"And who the hell says I wanna be a captain?" Reiji slapped the oncoming blade to the side as he retreated 2 steps. He then lunged forward, slashing for Lee's right shoulder. Lee blocked the strike with ease before he reached out and grabbed Reiji's face.

"Don't give me that shit." Lee shoved Reiji back, sending him sprawling on his back. "Everyone wants to be captain." Lee struck at Reiji while he lay on the ground. The smaller man moved mere moments before Lee's blade struck the floor, leaving a large gash on the wood.

Reiji stared at the damaged floor and imagined what would've happened if he hadn't moved. Would Lee have pulled his strike short, or would he have followed through? Knowing Lee as well as he did, he knew he would follow through. Not out of malice or desire to hurt Reiji, but just because he wanted a real fight with real consequences. It was why Lee planned to join the 11th squad when he graduated. Knowing Lee wouldn't hold back on him Reiji stood, determined to give his friend the challenge he wanted.

"Let's go Sukanku." Reiji smiled.

"Glad your finally serious. You lazy bastard." Lee readied his blade.

* * *

Miya skipped through the hallway with a giddy smile plastered on her face. Captain Lisa Iyasu, the captain of the fourth squad, had requested to see her early in the morning. Miya was a little worried that she was here to tell her that her application was denied. But that was certainly not the case. Captain Iyasu had told Miya, with a polite smile, that her application was accepted and she was officially part of the fourth squad of the Gotei 13. Miya had been so overjoyed that she almost leapt up and hugged the woman. Lisa told Miya that she was to report to the squad 4 barracks first thing tomorrow morning and that as of right now, she was the 10th seated officer.

"Nothing was going to ruin my mood today." She sang as the faint sound of steel clashing against steel found her ears. A frown almost immediately replaced her smile as she followed the sound to the dojo. She paused at the door and silently prayed that it wasn't who she thought, no knew, it was. A scowl replaced the frown as Reiji and Lee 'sparred' with each other. Both were covered in small scratches from where their blocks and parries had come up just a little short. Miya held up her hands and began mouthing words for a medium level bakudo spell but stopped.

A devilish grin crossed her face as she drew her tanto-sized zanpakuto. "Shriek, Keiteki." As the words left her lips, a centimeter wide hole appeared at the base of her zanpakuto. Suddenly both Reiji and Lee went rigid before they collapsed on the ground, hands over their ears. When Miya decided that they had enough she sheathed her blade and the two stopped twitching.

"What the hell was that for?" Lee asked as he slowly rose to his feet.

"Are you both retarded?" Miya shouted, "You idiots could've killed each other!"

"We were being care…" Lee's argument was immediately cut down by Miya's glare.

"I would just like to go on record and say, it was Sukanku's idea." Reiji said, immediately selling Lee out.

"Don't you give me that innocent crap!" Miya spat turning her attention towards Reiji. "You were fighting just as hard as Lee was!" The two men found that now would be an appropriate time to keep quiet as Miya ranted on about how stupid the two of them were. About how both of their parents must've dropped them on their heads at least 100 times each for them to even be as stupid as they were. By the time she finished her face was red and she had to inhale deeply before her skin returned to its natural color. "I mean if you're gonna do something stupid like this, at least find a better spot than the damned dojo."

Both Reiji and Lee raised an eyebrow as they realized what Miya was saying. "You've got a place to spar don't you?" they said in unison. Miya smiled.

* * *

"Ok this place is awesome." Lee said when Miya led him and Reiji to her training spot.

It was a large box canyon a little ways out of the Seiretei. Three walls of sheer rock ran along the north, west, and south of the canyon. The northern and southern walls were riddled with caves and the western end housed a small lake. Between the lake, the walls and the eastern entrance was a series of grassy hills of varying sizes. All in all it was a perfect, private place to train.

"Well, let's get started." Lee drew his zanpakuto from his back and pointed it at Reiji. "You better draw your blade, or I'll cut you before you can say bankai."

Reiji smirked, "Bankai." Onikage came from its sheath just in time to parry a strike meant to give a shallow cut to his chest. Within seconds the two were trading blows and Miya was already beginning to regret bringing the two of them here. She knew for a fact that the two of them would not hold back on each other. If she were honest she was surprised that they hadn't released their zanpakuto yet. Miya smiled as she imagined what their shikai would be. As the thought crossed her mind the two sparring partners separated with just a few nicks and cuts apiece.

"I think it's about time we see what our 'friends' can really do." Lee said as he held his large nodachi in the air. "Rend the sky in two. Raikiri." A bolt of lightning erupted from the nodachi in a flash of blinding light. Reiji and Miya had to shield their eyes to keep from being blinded. When their eyes finally refocused Lee's nodachi was gone. In its place was a zweihander long sword with a blade that was longer than Lee. Electricity ran along the blade of the sword, sometimes arcing away from the blade. The tsuba had become twin lightning bolt cross guards.

Reiji arced an eyebrow as he imagined what it would be like to be hit by that thing. The images that passed through his head were not pleasant. Slowly Reiji readied to leap away from Lee's first strike, trying to block that monster was suicide. It came faster than Reiji thought possible. The young man had barely managed to flash step out of the blades path before carved a large furrow in the ground.

Lee's eyes glanced around as he tried to guess where Reiji would come from. "Nice try." A second later Reiji appeared behind Lee and cut him across his back, or at least that was the hope. Lee had managed to maneuver Raikiri to protect his back the instant before Reiji struck. With a smile Lee pushed his friend back and a bolt of lightning arced from the blade and coursed through Reiji's body. The young man grit his teeth as his nerves exploded with pain.

'Call on me Reiji.' Onikage's voice whispered in his ear. 'Together we can defeat them.' Reiji looked down at his shadow that lay before him and could've sworn he saw it nod. Reiji relaxed as he held his zanpakuto out before him, tip directed at Lee.

"The brightest light shall cast the darkest shadow, Onikage." Lee and Miya watched with equal interest as Reiji's zanpakuto became black as night and shifted into a Chinese broadsword. As Reiji brought his blade to his side, no one noticed that his shadow held a different pose. "Come." Lee was more than happy to oblige.

He charged forward hefting Raikiri above his head and savagely brought it down on Reiji when the unthinkable happened. The monstrous blade was stopped. Lee's eyes widened as he noticed that Reiji's blade was still at his side. It was then that Lee looked their shadows on the ground. Reiji's shadow had moved to block Lee's shadow. Understanding dawned on Lee as Reiji gave him a shallow cut on his left shoulder. At the same moment another bolt of lighting shot from Raikiri and buried itself into Reiji's right shoulder. The two stepped back, clutching at their wounded shoulders. They both smiled as they went for another exchange.


	3. Desired Path

"You're joking right?" Squad 11 Captain Kenpachi Garuwashi asked Lee as his newest recruit stood before him. "You want to challenge my vice-captain for his position and rank?" Lee nodded respectfully to his new captain. Standing at about 5 ft. and 5 in. Garuwashi was much shorter than his newest subordinate, and certainly not what Lee was expecting when he heard the tales of the greatest swordsman in the thirteen court guard squads. But from what Lee could see, most if not all of the Kenpachi's mass was entirely muscle and the Captain's stance was one that commanded utter respect. "What's your name kid?"

Lee looked straight into Garuwashi's icy blue eyes as he introduced himself. The Captain looked at him with what seemed to be approval. Lee had just graduated from the Shino Academy the day before and had just been assigned to Squad 11. The new recruit wasted no time in presenting himself to the Captain and the rest of his squad.

"Do you believe yourself worthy enough to be my second Lee?" Garuwashi asked.

"No." Garuwashi raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I know I'm worthy enough."

The captain laughed uproariously at Lee's claim. Not because he doubted, but because he actually believed him. "I like you kid, you've got guts. Let's pray that Takeda doesn't introduce you to them." With that Garuwashi lifted his hand and gestured to someone in the back. Lee stood and turned to see the crowd men and women part ways to let a lone man through. Takeda said nothing as he bowed before his captain. Lee didn't miss the look of contempt the vice-captain gave him.

"So this whelp wishes to die by my blade." It wasn't a question. "Very well I shall put him in his place."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that Takeda. The boy has spirit." Garuwashi glanced over at Lee, "Well now upstart, as the lower ranking combatant, you are to decide the terms of your battle."

Lee looked at Takeda, whose hand was lazily resting on the hilt of his sword, and smiled. "No releasing zanpakutos. We fight with our own strength."

"Do you accept these terms Takeda?"

With a confident, almost smug, smirk Takeda drew his blade. "Yes."

A broad smile appeared on Lee's face he slid Raikiri from his back as Garuwashi raised his voice and addressed the squad. "Our newest recruit, Lee, has challenged Vice-Captain Takeda for his position. Will you all bear witness to this duel and vow to honor the outcome?" The entire squad responded in unison.

"Yes Captain!"

Satisfied Garuwashi turned back to Lee and Takeda, "Fight well." He told both of them as he moved back. At the same moment the rest of the squad encircled them and waited for the duel to begin. Lee slid into a ready stance, Raikiri's nodachi form held out in front of him with both hands. Forgoing an opening stance Takeda lunged at Lee, his zanpakuto dancing forward, eager to taste Lee's blood. The sound of metal clashing against metal rang through the building as Lee blocked each of Takeda's strikes.

"Interesting." Takeda stated with a raised eyebrow. "Few people are able to defend against that set." Lee just smiled as he pushed the Vice Captain away and unleashed his own flurry of attacks. The Vice-Captain grunted with surprise at the strength of Lee's attack, but was able to hold the upstart back all the same. After blocking an overheard strike, Takeda immediately countered by maneuvering Lee's blade down to the side and sliding his own blade up its length. Lee's eyes widened with surprise as Takeda's blade bit into his chest. He backed away put his hand to his freshly injured chest. The wound was shallow and wouldn't threaten his life. Lee chuckled as he looked at his bloody hand.

"That's more like it." Lee reaffirmed his grip on his sword and charged forward slashing at Takeda wildly with a berserker's blood lust. The Vice-Captain bided his time, holding off Lee's vicious assault with a controlled defense.

'He's skilled.' Takeda thought as he gave ground to Lee. 'But he has no restraint and wastes his energy. He won't be able to keep this up. All I have to do is wait for him to slip up and then he'll be finished.' Takeda watched Lee's movements carefully, 'There!' Takeda ducked under a horizontal chop aimed for his neck and cut at Lee's unprotected stomach. The move was perfectly executed and would have disemboweled Lee, if he had been there. Takeda held back a gasp when he felt a cold steel edge brush against his neck, drawing a trickle of blood.

"Did you think I was just slashing randomly at you? That I wouldn't be anticipating your counter attack this time? I've won." Takeda's response was a simple one. He spun around with his zanpakuto held out and slashed at Lee's neck. The young man ducked under the blade and with a quick thrust, drove his blade through the Vice-Captain's stomach.

Captain Garuwashi clapped lightly as Takeda fell to his knees. "Well done kid. Well done indeed." The Captain stood and walked over to Lee. "As the victor, I name you Vice-Captain of Squad…"

"NO!" Takeda shouted while struggling to his feet, hand pressed down on his wound. "He will not be the Vice-Captain."

"Stand down Takeda. Lee is the victor, accept your defeat with honor. That is, unless you mean to challenge me."

Takeda smiled as he nodded, removing his hand from his wound, revealing that it had already healed. "Kenpachi Garuwashi, I challenge you for your title and rank."

Garuwashi nodded, resting his hand on the hilt of his zanpakuto, "What are your terms?"

"Just this." Takeda said pointing his zanpakuto at his Captain. "Bankai."

* * *

Reiji tapped lightly on the wooden frame of the door to the Captain of Squad 9's office. When a voice on the other side of the door told him to enter, Reiji slid inside and shut the door behind him. He took a quick look around the office, noticed the small pile of paper work on the oak wood desk, a sofa against a far wall, an expensive looking rug on the floor, a sheathed zanpakuto propped against the desk, and finally the Captain himself. Keizen Omura was seated at his desk, looking over a sheet of paper that he held in one hand while his other hand held his long black hair out of his eyes.

"You wanted to see me Captain Omura?" Reiji asked after a moment of silence.

"Reiji Ryoken I presume?" The Captain looked up from the paper, "Enlisted in the Shino Academy 5 years ago. Graduated just yesterday as a matter of fact, a little sooner than usual. Forged your zanpakuto Onikage just last year. Moderate test scores throughout your education, showed a firm grasp of most of the basic and some advanced applications of zanjutsu and hakuda. Not too much talent in kido, but enough to get by in a pinch. Was allowed to graduate early because you had learned all you could at the academy." Keizen looked back to the paper. "Nothing about why you decided to become a Shinigami. So my question to you is this. Why did you choose to join the Gotei 13?"

"Captain?" Reiji asked. "What do you mean?"

"Why did you join the Gotei 13? What are your reasons for becoming a Shinigami?"

"I'm not really sure I had reasons, sir. My best friend Lee decided to join, and convinced me to join as well."

"How did he convince you?"

Reiji blushed a little. "He dragged me to the initiation ceremony, then volunteered me before I could sneak away."

"So it was never your desire to become a Shinigami? Why did you stay in the academy?"

"I was never one to shirk away from responsibility."

"So it was a sense of duty that kept you going." Keizen put the paper on the desk and stood to his full height, a towering 6 ft. and 7 in. The Captain was a gaunt man, his sleeveless shihakusho and haori hung loosely to his body, and his long hair framed his thin face. "Now that you're officially a Shinigami, what are your goals?"

"To fight hollows sir. What else would my goals be?"

"Fighting hollows is one of the duties we as Shinigami must fulfill. Along with guiding the souls of the dead to the Soul Society, defending the Seiretei, and guarding the Central 46." Captain Omura placed a hand on Reiji's shoulder. "But those aren't necessarily our goals." He could see that Reiji didn't understand.

"Your friend Lee 'Sukanku' Matsu joined the 11th Squad with a very clear goal, to fight powerful foes and become the strongest. In most squads that wouldn't get him very far, but in Garuwashi's squad, it will allow him to excel and possibly succeed Garuwashi as Kenpachi. Your other friend Miya Aisuru is the opposite, she wishes to heal and save people, so she joined the 4th Squad to further that goal." Reiji nodded as understanding was beginning to dawn on him.

"I'm going to be blunt here Reiji. There are three types of Shinigami, those who have a goal and will pursue it to the ends of their lives, those who fulfill their duties with all their hearts, and those like you, who don't know why they have chosen this path. The first two have the potential to become great, while the last one, I hate to say, hardly ever amounts to much. So I'll ask again, what are your goals as a Shinigami?" Reiji had no answer for him. "Come back when you've found what you hope to achieve."

* * *

Lee had watched duel between Kenpachi Garuwashi and Takeda with open amazement. Not because the two were equal in strength, but because of how thoroughly Garuwashi dominated Takeda. Garuwashi stood against Takeda's Bankai with only his Shikai. As he watched Lee came to an unsettling realization. He shouldn't have won. Takeda was infinitely more powerful than he was, and Garuwashi even more so.

Now Takeda was lying on the floor, in a pool of his own blood, while Garuwashi was walking towards Lee. He stopped for a moment and pointed at two other Shinigami. "Get Takeda to Squad 4's barracks. Everyone else leave us, I want a word with our new Vice-Captain alone." After a few moments Lee was alone with Garuwashi. "I'm assuming my message didn't get through."

"That my victory was a fluke?" Lee guessed, "Yeah it got through."

"You have the power of a 5th seated officer at best, yet you were able to defeat a Vice-Captain fighting with the same handicap as you. Your victory was no fluke. Takeda underestimated you greater than you overestimated yourself and he paid for it." The Captain corrected with a smile. "My message was simple. Don't challenge me for my rank unless you know for sure you're going to win. Now do you still think you're worthy of being my second?"

Lee knelt before his Captain, "No Kenpachi Garuwashi. I'm not worthy."

Garuwashi grabbed Lee by his shoulders and pulled him up to his feet. "Well then, I guess I better make worthy of it then, Vice-Captain Lee Matsu."

* * *

Reiji thought about the question for a long time. He thought about his earlier response of fighting hollows and what that ultimately called for. It called for him to be strong, but strength was not his ultimate goal, if it was he would've joined Sukanku in Squad 11. Sukanku wanted to be strong so he could fight. Reiji wanted strength, but he wanted, something else. He had his answer, had a purpose for being a Shinigami. Reiji raced to Captain Omura's office. He entered the office without waiting for the Captain to admit him.

"I want to protect those who can't protect themselves. That is my goal." He said, looking into Omura's eyes. The guant captain smiled as he rose and clapped Reiji's shoulder.

"Then welcome to Squad 9, 6th Seat Reiji Ryoken."


End file.
